Ireland

In January 2012, the penetration rate of fixed broadband is 24.3% of the population below the EU average of 27.7%. Ireland has 28.6% of fixed lines providing speeds of 10 Mbps and above. With regards to high and ultra fast speeds, only 4.3% of lines provide speeds between 30Mbps and below 100Mbps and 0.4% of fixed lines provide speeds equal or above 100 Mbps. Around 60% of broadband lines in Ireland are in the range of 2Mbps and below 10Mbps, 16.6 p.p. above the EU average rate of 43.4% of lines in this speed range. Mobile broadband penetration is 60% above the EU average penetration level. Ireland is the seventh country in mobile broadband penetration. In 2011 71% of the population use the internet regularly. With regards to disadvantaged people, the rate was 57%. 21% of citizens have never used the internet. Take-up of eCommerce is at EU average, with 43% of the population buying online. 48.8% of businesses purchased online, and 23.3% sold online. eGovernment use has witnessed one of the largest increases going from 37% in 2010 to 44%. Business use has increased to 90%, well above EU average (84%). In 2009, business expenditure on R&D (BERD) in the ICT sectors amounted to 488 mio €. The share of ICT in total BERD is fairly high, at slightly above 25%.